Katy O'Meara
Katy O'Meara is a mutant formerly of the X-Mansion but currently residing in Manhattan, NYC. Recent events see Katy accepting a deal from Mephisto and aiding him in his plans to merge his plane of Hell with Earth. Background Katy O'Meara was born to Dean and Catherine in November of 1978. The O'Meara family was raised in Providence, of the greater Boston area, where some of the family still reside. Their family and community were very close-knit, with the majority of residents in their suburb predominantly of Irish origin. Her younger, more informative years passed without any major mishap or consequence; she enjoyed school, the subjects she found a particular affinity with mostly of the mathematical persuasion. From very early on in life she knew she wanted to be a scientist of some type, and while her parents never fully understood their studious and ambitious daughter, they supported her as much as they could financially and were proud of her to an extent, but ultimately disturbed by her capricious and selfish nature, and her overall forceful will. Growing up in such a male dominated environment Katy was very much what you would call a tomboy throughout her childhood and early teenage years. With her brothers and cousins around she quickly learned to develop a thicker, less sensitive skin, and while she could not effectively participate in her brothers' regular roughhousing (their method of resolving disputes) she instead relied on her wits and sharp tongue to adequately defend herself and protect her privacy. From her brothers' influence she also developed an interest in certain sports and was a valued member of her school's athletic and gymnastic teams as a young teenager. She got into scrapes, fights and trouble as a child, the usual misdemeanors and fresh attitude to be expected. It wasn't until she reached puberty, however, that she realized she didn't have to just use words, or run away to fight her battles. It was during t his time that her powers began to manifest. At first minor occurrences of her mutation could be explained away to coincidence, but her parents had begun to suspect that Katy wasn't what they would deem as normal. They decided to keep a close eye on their strange daughter for the foreseeable future. In the beginning they tried to keep her “talents” under wraps, embarrassed and afraid of what others would think, or if they would exclude the family. But a few nights after Katy turned sixteen the mysterious girl who had once been outspoken and outgoing created such a mess in her sleep that nobody could ignore her anymore. During a particularly fitful sleep Katy single handedly reduced their family home to a wreck of nothing but struts, destroyed furniture and open foundations. A local news crew took an interest in the incident, claiming that the O'Meara's pleas of unstable construction could not be accurate. So when they were approached by a helpful stranger, claiming that they had facilities to deal with Katy and her “special” abilities she was sent there with their permission and without delay, and the rest of her family set about rebuilding their home and their lives without her. On the whole Katy enjoyed her time at The Xavier Institute for Higher Learning. She began to feel comfortable around people so similar to herself, and little by little she retained her previously hidden personality. She was no longer as carefree, but at least she was surrounded by people who understood her, who didn't ridicule her and weren't embarrassed. Throughout her schooling there she kept no contact with her family in Boston, and they seemed to be happy enough with that arrangement. Ignoring her childhood dream of becoming a scientist she instead sated her curiosity for mathematics and engineering by developing a love for mechanics. She stayed on in the school and taught for a number of years in that regard, before finally realizing that her path lay elsewhere, that she had seen nothing of the world outside the grounds of the school, and that she had much to discover about herself. She left Xavier's and traveled. With her Suzuki GSX 1300R she drove across the USA, stopping when she ran out of money and picking up odd mechanic jobs along the way. At the age of twenty-seven she settled for good in New York where she took up a position in Cycle Therapy, a specialist bike shop in the city. Three years later she is the customer service manager of the store and is currently quietly enjoying life, trying to stay off the radar. Her youngest brother, Dave O'Meara now lives nearby and is the only member of her family she keeps in contact with. He was often heard to remark that Katy was his inspiration for pursuing a career in biology. She lives in a one-bedroomed apartment with Creep, her pet tarantula. Relationships Katy has had a very colourful relationship history. Most noteworthy of these conquests would be her long-term relationship with X-Mansion counsellor Pacy McNeil, with whom she developed a relationship following an indepth discussion about her past. Due to familial responsibilities Pacy returned to England for a year, effectively ending their relationship. Upon his return they remained friends, but have yet to revisit the issue of their past romance. Recently Katy has become involved with Shannon White, having met her in a bar in Hell's Kitchen. They have since reunited at Shea Stadium, where Mephisto has sent them both to play their parts in his masterplan. Katy had previously been unaware that Shannon too had been possessed by Lust, one of the Seven Deadly Sins. Recent History Before leaving the X-Mansion Katy encountered a young Alex Santos, a new arrival looking for shelter and a place to call home, much like she once had done. A number of years after settling in New York she ran afoul of suited superhero Iron Eagle, who effectively put an end to an angered rampage she had embarked on in Queens when a young gang had tried to steal her bike. Shortly afterward Katy met Rebecca Silver when the two were held hostage in the Bank of America. Between them they managed to diffuse the situation and save the hostages, although a battle with a Demon shortly ensued. An unlikely friendship between the two developed. Hell Rising Having made a deal with Mephisto, Katy is no indebted to him. She gained more power and kept her soul, but in the process (and unknown to her at the time) was possessed by the demon Sariel, and is now the embodied epitome of Envy, one of the Seven Deadly Sins. Powers Shockwaves This is the ability to generate seismic energies that cause shockwaves and earth tremors at will. This is a close relative of, but not to be confused with, terrakinesis. While this power is mind-based, and Katy can actually control the movement of the Earth's tectonic plates directly beneath her, she has not yet made this distinction. As of yet she is unable to use her power without physical intervention. This means that in order for her to successfully deploy this ability she must have full use of her limbs, specifically her legs. To cause a shockwave Katy merely stamps her foot. The more height she can achieve when she extends her leg and drops it the more powerful the tremor. She can also use her fists to create shockwaves and although the result is rarely as impressive she has been known to reduce buildings to rubble in a matter of minutes. Seismic waves are forces that travel through the Earth or other elastic body. They are also continually excited on Earth by the incessant pounding of ocean waves and the wind. Katy's power works in a way similar to the microseism, on the principal that her body and mind can produce what is known to seismologists as Surface Waves. Surface waves are analogous to water waves and travel just under the Earth's surface. Because of their low frequency, long duration, and large amplitude, they can be the most destructive type of seismic wave. Seismic Punch Through trial and error Katy has discovered that she can pack a punch of a very different nature. It works in a similar way to her primary power in that a shockwave of microseism proportions builds up within her body and is released through a limb, or in most cases a fist. She can control the strength with which she releases it through a punch, but for the majority of the time it will feel to her assailant as though he is being clocked over the head with a crowbar. Equipment Because of the friction caused when Katy uses her power she quickly realized that normal footwear would not be durable enough to last the damage she visited upon them when creating her shockwaves. Often she found the rubber soles of her regular attire would burn away easily, leaving her barefoot for the vast majority of the time. These boots are reinforced and serve more purposes than just mere offroading or motocrossing. Among other extras they boast: vented microfiber, airtech inner lining, reinforced leather midsole, ankle and toe protection system, rear and toe titanium sliders, side venting system and excellent grip.